Dreams Deferred
by FutureGohan
Summary: The story of two lovers caught up in the DBZ universe as Majin Buu tears it apart. PG-13 for blood and some scary scenes.
1. Author's Note

Author's Note  
  
Before you start reading, there are a few things you should know. First, I did my best to make this story literate, so it's no easy read. And if emotions and descriptions aren't your thing, then you might as well bail now. I don't care if anyone reads this except for the person I wrote it for. That's the main reason this fan-fic was written. As a birthday present to someone very close to my heart, a thank-you for rescuing me from the chaotic abyss of my loneliness and making me believe that I'm worth something more than the worthless piece of shit that takes everyone's blame. Even though I still feel that I am, I can live with it and smile because I know she cares about me anyway.   
  
I incorperated it into the DBZ universe because we actually met thanks to one of her DBZ fan-fics. I used to be nearly obsessive about the genre and still am #1 at the card game, so I figured I'd be comfortable making a tribute to our relationship in the same setting. The story is unique because it focuses on the average people in the DBZ universe, which takes no account for their feelings and often massacres them without any look ino the reprecussions.   
  
Some names have been changed to protect the innocent.   
  
Future Gohan 


	2. Ordinary Day

Chapter 1   
  
And there she was, an angel amidst the bedlam, moonlight caressing her graceful form tenderly. She stood with her back to him, facing the ominous sphere of the full moon, a brilliant orb that ripped the infinite blankness of the sky in two, threatening to swallow everything into it's mily luminescence. She was, as always, a temptation. The heaven he had always strived to achieve that somehow always slipped through his fingers like cupped morning dew, leaving him only to long more for her and contemplate his faults. And now, despite the tumult that ensnared everything around, they were alone.  
  
He had struggled against physics, and the strain that had consumed him, the screaming pain that had torn at his muscles for so long now he had displaced as irrelevant. She was all that mattered to him now. She was the one thing preventing his death...or perphaps, driving him to it. He struggled to walk closer, but found himself collapsed once more. Whether he had been stricken down by fatigue or overcome by her beauty was anyone's guess. But he rose once more, pushing with all his might to overcome the sweat, the blood that now streamed freely from his wounds, salty, on his lip. However much he squinted he could not see her wings, couldn't feel the phantom winds that raced along the crater-littered, blackened landscape pull one of her feathers accross his face, though he knew somewhere above her haunting silhouette was a halo. Or at least, one would be there soon.  
  
She turned her head to him, an ironic smile on her face defying the shining tears that were slipping down her face to meet her perfect lips. She knew, as he did now. His eyes widened with fear and realization. Oh God, no...God...no. That isn't the moon, he told himself. That isn't the moon! He reached for her and called her name...  
  
"THORN!" A shrill cry forced the world around to shatter and fall deferred into nothingness. In response, he bolted upright, opening his eyes while his mind screamed in protest from the sudden contrast of the blinding afternoon classroom to his bleak dreams, which he quickly forgot on sight of a rather irritated teacher approaching him and pronouncing for all within a few blocks his poor listening skills.   
  
Quite used to his own antagonization by now, Thorn sighed and cast his eyes far beyond the confines of the broad window in the classroom, letting banter of his inferiority richot away from his consciousness. Another day's loneliness had driven him to sleep. But today he did not wake to the scornful laughter of his peers.  
  
Because today the entirety of his class was at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Of course, he hadn't been informed of the event, or welcomed to go with them, so naturally he was left behind to wallow in the dim cacophony of his High School. He was lonely when they were there anyway, constantly assaulted by the thoughts of his own worthlessness thanks to the fact that they didn't bother to speak to him, and often drifted into sleep like he had today. But now he felt even more detached, even more isolated, because even though they had never cared about his existence before...now they weren't even aware of it.   
  
Thorn smirked, spiting his sorrow, turning back and drawing in the empty classroom and the teacher facing him. Just an ordinary day. 


	3. An Angel in Satan City

Chapter 2  
  
She made a satisfied sigh as she slipped out the front door, into the bask of the warm sunlight that was eager to wrap itself around her heavenly body. She had just turned 17, but from the way her golden hair cascaded down her body, and how the light seemed to reflect off her crystal blue eyes endlessly and make you feel like you were gazing into paradise itself, you knew she was the kind of woman who would be eternally beautiful. A wry smile twisted her ruby lips, adding a dash of mischief to her innocent young disposition. She didn't lie to her father. She was going to the World Martial Arts Tournament. However, she had just accidentally left out the fact that she'd be going with her new boyfriend. She sighed. She adored Bill more than fish do water, yet he rarely seemed to acknowledge it. Each night she lay in bed to find new tears flowing down her face, longing for him when he should have called like he had promised. Yet, eternally faithful to his handsome face, his other-worldy kisses, she would not abandon hope for true love in him. Looking to the mess of sapphire and clouds that was the sky, suddenly she stopped in bewilderment. Was that...an orange cloud? No sooner had she sighted the anomaly had it zipped out of view.   
  
"Becky?"   
  
Shaking her head and regaining her composure, she began to gingerly tread toward her destination once more.  
  
"BECKY?" Hearing the call this time, she turned her head and raced toward the source. There was Bill, in a smooth blue convertible, a half-sneer on his face as he waited impatiently for her, his sunglasses effectively veling what part of her body he was staring at. She giggled innocently and hopped in the car, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. He didn't seem to notice, and hit the gas.   
  
A cloud of dust ensued, and a pair of lonely eyes pierced the blue convertible from behind it as they sped off into the distance.   
  
He was tall, not extraordinarily for his age, but you couldn't call him short. Sported a head of relatively long, brown, curly hair that didn't come near his eyebrows, looking as if it had never been combed but had never needed to be. His shoulders were broad, though he was slim. His legs were heavily muscled, as was his stomach beneath his navy blue tee shirt, and by his own preference he had maintained rather slim arms that still seemed quite toned. His skin was dark, a genetic heirloom of a culture long lost to the world. Thorn was nearly 18, and the years had weathered his body as it had his mind. A wicked X-shaped scar found it's home on his left arm, and various nicks and scratches littered his face. He wasn't exceptionally handsome, but his tan skin and dark features created an utterly unique look that worked against him, outcasting him more than he already was. His eyes were an abnormal swirl of scarlet and brown, bitter and strained, without any filters to the callous ways of the world he knew all too well.  
  
Those eyes weren't always so mature. Not long had it been since they were wide and eager, and full of hope. But that hope was extinguished early into his high school years. He had strived to fit in, to be like his classmates, to act and be a part of something. But friendship, like family, was a priveledge he was denied of, despite how hard he fought to be everything they were and more. They knew he was different, somehow. He was too strong, too nerdy, too smart, too cool, all at the same time. And there was no home for someone who was good at everything. Alienated, Thorn found himself with not a soul to confide in...and thus, his own began to wane.   
  
A sigh escaped his lips as the couple dissappeared into the urban tumult around him, and he resumed walking again. He knew so much about people, about their selfishness, about the pain and strife the world was built on, but there was something he could never understand. How did people take love so lightly? And was there even such a thing? How could Bill not even acknowledge Becky's kiss, a gesture he doubted he would ever experience. He shook his head. He was just the city's damn pariah. Taking all the shit they were too weak to handle. Someone had to feel the burn. Unfortunately, it was him.   
  
Thorn looked onward, then down to the dirty sidewalk again. No angels here in Satan City, he thought, remembering his dream.  
  
The World Martial Arts Stadium loomed ominously on the horizon. 


	4. The Tournament

Chapter 3  
  
Thousands on thousands of eyes glared, glazed over, in disbelief at the ring, which had exploded into a furnace of golden light as a figure floated powerfully, bathed in electricity radiating over his body, his hair nearly white like his eyes.  
  
"Knew Gohan was a freak..." Some voices whispered. "Great Saiyaman?!" Said others. "I knew it all along!"  
  
But not every eye was on the display in the arena. One boy's were fixated on the rear of a nearby woman, and he was snickering to his friends about something. He lowered his shades. It was Bill.   
  
Thorn had taken a seat a few rows above and to the side, where he had a nice, lofty view of just about everything and everyone in the stadium. He had arrived just following Videl's fight versus Spopovich; heard how severely she was injured. He just smirked in dark comprehension. The pain she felt in the ring was only a fraction of the emotional pain he felt every day. Now Gohan and some man with pink skin were putting on some light show, and though it caught the attention of mostly everyone, he had cast his scarlet eyes to a classmate of his that seemed to defy any limitations of beauty.  
  
Barely visible under the mountain of junk food and merchandise she was carrying, Becky dodged, weaved, and excuse med her way back to her seats. A pleasant smile was on her face, she felt glad to be of use to Bill and his friends in getting their food and drinks. Hearing them talk, she swallowed the impulse to yell, "I'm back baby!" in her usual cheerful disposition, a hint of mischeif showing in her eyes as she tried to hear if they were talking about her. They were, but not as she had expected.  
  
"...see that brunette in the next row? She is bangin'!" One of them started.   
  
"Pssh. Maybe, but she's nothing I can't get." Bill retorted.  
  
A boy with spikey blonde hair turned his head to him, bemused.   
  
"Prove it."   
  
When Bill got up to walk toward the woman in question, another one of his friends stopped him by placing a firm hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Didn't think you'd actually do it. Come on man, you have a girlfriend, and she's hot."  
  
Bill smirked, behind his sunglasses he raised an eyebrow. "Freshman routine, Jack."   
  
Jack rolled his eyes. "Use her, abuse her, lose her?"   
  
Bill was about to nod when he heard a sniffle behind him. He turned his head, and the other guys frowned in shame when they saw Becky there, tears in her eyes. She dumped the food onto Bill, hoping the hot nacho cheese would scald his skin, and stormed up the stairs, looking back one last time-  
  
-and running smack into Thorn, who had stood up along with much of the crowd to watch as Gohan, Videl, and several other fighnters flew right out of the arena into the endless blue abyss above them. Thorn cried out in confusion as he hit the stairs and Becky fell atop him. For a moment, their noses nearly touched. Their eyes met, and through Becky's tears Thorn saw something that sent his heart and mind reeling. He knew Becky was beautiful, knew that he could never have her. But he had never noticed those eyes before. Resolving to look into them again someday, Thorn reluctantly broke their embrace by taking her firmly by the hand and helping her stand again.   
  
"...sorry..." She blurted, covering her eyes and dashing up the stairs, as tears began to fall, her loss setting in again, bag bouncing against her hips in a way that Bill had intended to.  
  
Thorn simply stood, dumbfounded and quarreling with his own reserve whether or not to go and comfort her. He shook his head. Help from him would only make things worse for her. He was just the hopeless dreamer from third period. She was the girl every guy wanted. He was the friendless, and this was natural selection. He wouldn't survive a moment in her heart, not even as an aquantaince. He knew her type. But...then...if all that were true, then what had he seen in her eyes?   
  
Thorn turned to see Bill and his friends approaching. And they weren't happy. 


	5. Bloodshed

Chapter 4  
  
It was enough. She was tired of guys feigning love just to get down her pants. Tired of people in her life pretending to care even though they knew nothing about her. Tears rolled endlessly off her cheeks and became miniature lakes on the tiled floor. She shut the bathroom door and looked in the mirror. They said she was beautiful inside and out...so then why couldn't they see her for more than her body. A sickening smile crossed her face as she found the razor in her purse and drew it accross her arm.  
  
Blood trickled and dripped to the ground.  
  
Thorn wiped his cheek, which was now an open wound. He growled, his eyes blind to the world as the anger coarsed through his blood. Rose slowly from the ground.  
  
"Been talking to my girl freak?" Bill asked, a displaced smile on his face.   
  
"You hurt her." Thorn said in a low growl, completely ignoring his cheek. Several people from the crowd turned their attention from Hercule's fight to the scene. Bill caught the look in Thorn's eyes, the way every feature on his face was twisted in utter contempt for him, and took a step back. He hadn't expected the orphan to get up after he hit him once.   
  
"None of your business you fucking trash...she's mi-" Before Bill could finish his sentence, Thorn embedded his left fist into his stomach, causing him to double back, and then upper-cutted the taller boy with his right, knocking him to the ground. Though he was not bloodied, bruises began to show themselves all accross Bill's body. Thorn made an angry noise and walked over to the fallen agressor, firmly resting his foot on his throat.  
  
'Don't you dare get up. If you or any of your preppy friends even look at me funny again, I'm coming after y-hey!"   
  
Two strong arms wrapped around Thorn's waist from behind, and Bill's friends carried him to one of the narrow alleys between concession areas. The next few moments were black to him. He was repeatedly punched in the gut, kicked between the legs more times than he thought a man capable of, and utterly battered until he could take no more. Feeding off the last bit of anger he had, Thorn struggled and elbowed the boy holding him hard in the stomach, and made a break for it. Running as fast as he could and not looking back, he could hear their yells and heavy footsteps behind them, but knew noone could catch up to the star soccer player. Knowing it was useless, that they'd wait at the exit, he kicked open the nearest door and shut it hard behind him.   
  
A girl stood facing a mirror in the center of the room. He panted heavily, standing against the door. Shit, he told himself. The girls bathroom. He sighed, waiting for her to notice and flip, but suprisingly enough, she seemed to disregard his presence. He walked to a sink and stuck his face in, washing some of his own blood away. He pulled his wet face away and recognized her as Becky. Her face was still wet with tears, she held her arms behind her back. He took a step toward her, and she did not do anything to protest. Their eyes met, and once more he felt lost somewhere that he'd rather not be found, deep within her soul. He shyly looked down, and saw a thin red line on her wrist.   
  
"You shouldn't do that you know..." He said silkily, shaking his head.   
  
"I don't see why not. Noone else seems to care. What would you know any-?" Becky stopped talking when Thorn turned his wrists over, revealing two very deep scars, frowning.   
  
"I don't understand..." She said, touching his wrists, looking at them, a look of bewilderment on her face. "Why?"  
  
Thorn sighed, and just smirked. His expression gave Becky a feeling as if her problems were nothing. That he had somehow endured all the strife the world had to offer, and she felt selfish.   
  
"Becky, no matter what problems you've had in life..." He said, tilting his head and talking smoothly, "You've always had someone to fall back on. A friend, a boyfriend, parents, anyone. As you probably know I'm not exactly the most popular guy in Orange Star, and as for parents, well...I'm an orphan. Maybe I don't deserve friends or family, but hell, it still hurts."   
  
For a moment, Becky was still, Thorn's explanation hovering over her head like a thick mist, as she slowly took it in bit by bit. Another wave of sickness swept over her, a new tide of pain stemming from Bill capped by guilt from never giving Thorn a second look before, and she buryed her face in her hands and started crying again, the razor dropping to the floor and breaking with a metallic clink.   
  
Thorn found himself unable to restrain himself. Before he could blink he had his arm around Becky, and was doing his best to comfort her.  
  
"..I understand you because I feel the same, Becky. Don't cry, please. Before today I looked at you as a heartless bitch-" This invoked more tears from Becky, and Thorn mentally cursed himself. She might deserve that, but not now. He rubbed her back gently. "-but now I see that you deserve more than just a second glance or a hungry look at your ass. Becky, let me help you through this." He sighed and kissed her on the cheek, and with that she removed her face from her hands, wiping away the tears and looking at him with those endlessly gorgeous blue eyes. He felt himself melt. Was that a blush on her cheeks? Their faces were close now, too close. She was leaning close to him now and he could feel her hot breath on his lips. Was this the moment he had waited for all his life...?   
  
He would never know. An explosion rocked the stadium, and everything fell apart. 


	6. Lives Discarded

Chapter 5  
  
Sunlight trickled into the damaged bathroom at first, and then drowned everything in it's blinding yellow warmth, flooding through the opened door. Thorn was all that stood in it's path. He did not believe what met his eyes.   
  
About a fourth of the stadium was almost completely gone. Rubble iced with blood and mangled bodies was strewn about the area. Thorn was paralyzed in place, surveying the scene with utter horror. Parents and children lay lifeless hand-in-hand with almost amused looks of suprise on their face. The culprit was still in the ring. There was no difficulty distinguishing the living from the dead. Anyone alive was yelling or screaming.  
  
He was in his late manhood, wearing a navy blue jumpsuit that emphasized his rock-hard muscles perfectly. His hand was outstretched in the general direction of the chaos. His hair was like a lit match, and a golden flame surrounded him. An "M" was tattooed on his forehead, black and a style of some distant culture. What was most grotesque about the killer, however, was his expression. A sneer crossed his face, one that utterly disregarded the way he had discarded so many lives so easily. A man in a red gi stood arguing with him, and a small man with a mohawk was between, apparently trying to stop everything and failing terribly.   
  
Ice still in his veins, Thorn turned back into the bathroom, calling in. His voice playfully echoed off the tile walls.  
  
"Becky."   
  
She rose from the floor, and invoked the usual stirrings within him as she did so. He averted his gaze. Now was not the time for longing. She turned her head, pleading desperately.  
  
"Thorn what happened?"   
  
He just shook his head and closed his eyes hard.   
  
"I want you to go home. Try not to look as you leave. Get as far from the stadium as possible."  
  
"But I-"  
  
"No questions. Just get out of here." Thorn's voice was steely and cold. He moved away from the doorway, and she stepped out.   
  
A gasp, a few horrified shrieks and words, and Becky was gone. When Thorn turned, so was the killer and his comrades. A muffled cry was heard from the rubble.  
  
"...help me..." It was weak, and muffled, but Thorn recognized him. For a moment he stood wondering whether to help or not. Then he spat angrily and pulled Bill from the rubble. He didn't look back as he too left the stadium. 


	7. Red Clouds

Chapter 6  
  
Flower petals drifted lazily accross the nearly endless green landscape. A large procession of people in black shrouded much of the area like a great cloud of poisonous smog, giving the scene a somber and dark atmosphere.   
  
Thorn could see them all perfectly from a high hill, his back to an oak tree. Worst of all, he could hear their crying and wails of protest. He shook his head and closed his eyes to dam the tears back. It had been about a day since he had visited the World Martial Arts Tournament, which was still in progress. The people below were having a memorial for all who perished in the maniac's attack.   
  
Taking a deep breath, his mind turned back to the other significant thing that had happened to him that day. Becky. He knew he probably wouldn't see her again for a while, as summer vacation had just started, and when he did at school she would have long forgotten the moment they had in the bathroom. Touching his wrists, he felt something in him pray she had gotten over Bill and stopped hurting herself. She of all people deserved happiness after all of that. Just the thought of her brought him some. The way her voice played in his ears like some ancient symphony. He could almost hear her now...wait a second. He did hear her now. He turned around and looked up to see her. She wore a black skirt and their school shirt, along with a smile that gave her a certain radiance that would make the sun jealous.  
  
"Lost in thought?" She asked playfully.  
  
"I have nowhere else to go." He said, his eyes meeting hers.  
  
"What were you thinking about?" There was a certain innocence in her voice now, something that had been dead just a day before. She fell to her knees, sitting next to him and folding her hands, looking at him mischeviously.  
  
"How could anyone do that?" Thorn looked down to the procession of mourners and gravediggers. "Just kill everyone with the palm of their hand. Wash them all away as if their lives meant nothing..."  
  
Becky just sighed and looked at him. "Why do you care so much about people?" The way he had tried to comfort her the day before was nowhere near forgotten to her.   
  
"Why wouldn't I?" He turned back to her, an inquisitive look on his face.  
  
"They've always totally ignored you...I won't lie and say I haven't. Why did you bother helping me? Bill? Why are you sad about the killings when you know noone would notice if you had been caught in the blast?" She let her words sink in, and seeing Thorn's eyes turn to the ground, she muttered apologetically about the last part.  
  
"Because..." His eyes were cloudy with a million thoughts trying to find their way onto words to deliver to her, "There's something beautiful about people. The way they always try and find the light even when everything around them is dead and doomed. The way they never seem to lose their hope, like back in the Cell Games. You can hear it in children's voices...just feel the life when you listen to singing." He realized he was probably sounding horribly cheesy and philosophical, but Becky was lost in his deep voice that was more down-to-earth than any geek could hope to be. His eyes turned back to her, and her heart skipped a beat. "I saw that beauty in you. Yesterday...I couldn't help but try and make you feel better."  
  
Her eyes glazed over with tears again, and she put a hand on his face, tracing her fingers along the bruised cut from where Bill had punched him, smiling and apparenltly lost for words. They were both interrupted by a low rumble that erupted directly above them, causing them both to look up.   
  
"Must be a storm..." Thorn said pensively.  
  
"I've never seen a pink cloud before." Becky said, gesturing to the accumulation of light red wisps above them. The sky had darkened abnormally suddenly.   
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Becky nodded, but then turned to him, looking down and back to him, a tint of red on her cheeks.  
  
"I'm actually...afraid of lightning." At this, an amused smile graced Thorn's lips.   
  
"Nothing to be afraid of Becky. The chances of you getting struck by lightning are the chances of me getting laid."   
  
She laughed politely, and for a moment wanted to say, "we should duck then," but she bottled up her feelings. "I know, but still, I like to hide when the thunder comes. It unnerves me."   
  
Thorn stood over her and stretched his hand out. "Then let me take you home."   
  
She took his hand. Despite a few callouses, his hand was actually very soft and warm. He took hers tight and pulled her up. Taking one last glance at the people below, Thorn escorted her towards the city, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her, talking and laughing about little things. As they parted, both felt as if everything was right in the world again.   
  
They were horribly, horribly wrong. 


	8. Beginning of the End

Chapter 7  
  
That night, humanity started to draw it's dying breaths. An abomination had surfaced and invoked fear in every man, woman and child on Earth.   
  
It's name was Majin Buu. It was fat, pink, and always wore a big smile. Wearing a pair of baggy pants and a purple cape, on first sight none could suspect the portly pink creature would be humanity's scourge. But thanks to the magic of a wizard named Babidi, the eyes of the world were forced open, and all could watch in terror as Buu destroyed city by city, consuming the occupants, actions only warranted by a search for three fighters in the World Martial Arts Tournament. A hero with long golden hair had surfaced to fight the monster, and did a great job pummeling not only Majin Buu but the city below, destroying more lives than he saved. Hercule was nowhere to be found.  
  
When Buu had reached her city, Becky left her house immediately. If she was going to die, there was one person she wanted to see first. She needed to talk to Thorn one last time. He'd know just what to say and like always, she wouldn't feel crazy any more.  
  
She hadn't expected to run into Buu almost immediately. Turning onto Main, she froze in terror to see Majin Buu strolling down the middle of the road with a great smile on his face, looking at all the people who were too terrifyed to run, making a pleased noise. Several swat teams swerved into position in front of Becky, who took a few steps back to watch the soldiers take out guns, bazookas, and line up their tank cannons at the creature. Surely it would be enough.   
  
"Thwee!" A high pitched voice came from Buu.  
  
"FIRE!" A great staccato of machine gun fire was issued from the soldiers.  
  
"Twoooo!" Buu giggled as the shells simply bounced off his rubbery flesh.  
  
The cannons fired, and a great explosion consumed Majin Buu and the surrounding area, fire billowing in the wind and dancing about in it's currents.  
  
"GOOOOOO!" Unphased, the childlike pink menace ran gleefully through the line of fire and straight through the altillery, which collapsed into itself with a final explosion. Buu clapped it's gloved hands.  
  
"YAYYY! BUU...MAKE BOOM!" Becky cried a few tears and fell back onto some rubble, praying for an easy death. Majin Buu turned and saw her. A magazine blew from the dirty street to her side.  
  
"YOU GIRL!" Buu cried out happily. Becky looked about. She was the only girl, the only person around.   
  
"YOU THINK BUU SEXY?" Buu laughed and leaned over, it's grotesque putty face inches from her. Becky shrieked but quickly regained her composure. She nodded, a bead of sweat on her forehead, swallowing her immense fear.  
  
"Oh yes Buu is very sexy!" She nodded, desperately. If it meant her life she'd humor the creature.   
  
"THEN KISS BUU!" Buu leaned over, puckering it's gaping lips. She couldn't resist screaming.  
  
"NOOO!" Buu blinked a few times, scratching it's skin.  
  
"YOU DON'T THINK BUU LOOK SEXY? BUU KNOW!" Buu bent over, picking up the magazine and contorting it's face to look like a pink version of the male model on the front cover.  
  
"Babyyy!" Buu said in a smooth voice. Becky just gaped in horror.  
  
"BUU NO LIKE MEAN GIRL!" Buu frowned, it's face turning back to normal. "YOU BE SWEETER AS CHOCOLATE!" Becky braced herself and closed her eyes as Buu lowered it's tentacle toward her and it began to glow.  
  
BLAM!  
  
The beam fired, and a cascade of dust and rocks piled between the creature and Becky.   
  
"HUH?"  
  
A boy with dark skin stood with his arms around as much of the rotund creature as possible, his eyes shut, ready for death. He pulled away, realizing he had failed in budging the monster, which began clapping and giggling.  
  
"NICE BOY GIVE BUU HUG! BUU LIKE!!!" A bead of sweat formed on Thorn's forehead, and he took a step back. "BUU NO KILL BOY! THANK YOUU!" With that, Buu picked up a piece of chocolate off the ground and flew into the sky. Thorn brushed the sweat from his forehead and turned around.  
  
"Becky..." Thorn said, shaking his head, a tear slipping down his face. There was nothing in front of him except dust and rubble. "Damn it...why her...?" He whispered, and stole away.  
  
From under the rubble, something stirred, pushing it's way free and blinking.   
  
"How am I alive?" Becky asked, brushing herself off and standing. She had been so close to death...and then she heard Thorn's voice, and there was an explosion, and now even Buu was gone. Thankful for her life, Becky ran toward her home, praying for her family's safety. 


	9. Genocide

Chapter 8  
  
80% of the world's population had died in just a few days. Majin Buu had originally been only killing lightly on Babidi's behalf, but in the end Buu turned on Babidi. Free of the wizard's shackles, Buu proceeded to begin ripping the cities of Earth to shreds. What was left of the world was beaten and ravaged.   
  
Thorn stood on a rooftop, looking down on the streets, which were still busy. The people, despite the horrors of Majin Buu and the outbreak of anarchy in the more damaged cities still pushed on with their everyday life. And now they had hope...a day ago, Hercule bravely charged to Majin Buu's home to destroy the monster just as he had done to Cell. Though they were yet to hear from the World Martial Arts Champion, they all believed in their savior.  
  
But there was no rescuing Thorn from the new wave of depression he had entered. He looked down at his wrists, which were open and freely bleeding, and he laughed masochistically. Becky was gone. He had not bothered to return to the orphanage. She was the good he had seen in the human race. She was the reason he saved Bill. She was the reason he lived. Now that she was gone, the world was as good as over for him. He didn't fear Majin Buu, or anything for that matter. If a strong wind came, he would be blown off the edge of the rooftop and he would die. He would welcome death. He had not taken his own life when Buu's rampage first began because to him, heaven was there on Earth with Becky. Now it was somewhere beyond. He tilted his head upward, turning his eyes to the sky, blood dripping down to the street below.  
  
"Are you up there Becky?" He shook his head and closed his eyes, which were already wet with fresh tears for her. Was there anything up in the damn sky? A God, a Kai, anything? He looked up angrily.  
  
To his suprise, something far in the heavens responded. Billions of pink pinpricks of light appeared and hovered menacingly there like a thousand released balloons. Thorn eyed them curiously as they grew steadily larger and closer. Suddenly a wave of fear and sickness swept over him. They were no fireworks, not a freak rainstorm. He dove for cover grasping onto a gutter, and the first of the beams narrowly missed him and slammed into the building, blasting the window open and shaking the foundations.   
  
A million of the same would follow suit, but none other missed it's marked. Thorn watched as each and every man, woman, and child, was impaled through the heart by each beam.   
  
"Look, fireworks!" One smiled and pointed to the sky before a beam pierced her throat, spraying the ground with blood. Another man tryed to cover his little boy, and a blast seared it's way through his back. He cryed out in pain, and another beam incinerated his head and proceeded to totally liquefy the child's body. Thorn gasped. It was a rain of chaos. Person after person was impaled by the blasts. Some would squirm a few minutes, some would scream in horror, watching as their hot blood spilled out of the newly made holes in their chests. Some wouldn't even know what hit them and just collapse in a heap. The sky flashed over and over again with each new death claimed. Explosions rocked the landscape and the city fell into ruin with each impact. Thorn shut his eyes for what seemed like hours. He walked down from the rooftop and into the street.   
  
It was empty. Everything was empty. He was the only one left alive. Everything was dead. Corpses littered the street. Cars were swerved to the side, or crashed right into buildings with the passengers newly dead and collapsed over. Thorn found it difficult to walk, weakly down the street, without stepping in some young child's remains or trudging over the skull of an old classmate of his. He looked at the sky in rage. Why did the fucking beam miss him? Why did he have to live to see everyone dead. He threw his arms back and screamed in agony, his cry ringing through the ruined city, falling to his knees, sobbing profusely. All was silent. 


	10. End of the Road

Chapter 9  
  
Becky wandered out of the orphanage, totally at a loss for emotion. Everything within her was as dead as everything on the outside world.  
  
She had survived, thanks to Thorn, once again.  
  
She had come to the orphanage to see if he was there, to hang out with him a while since God knew she had nothing else to do. Thorn, being the oldest, lived in the basement, which used to be a bomb shelter. Which she was in during Majin Buu's genocide attack.   
  
Now she'd rather be dead. As she trudged through the streets paying no mind to the bodies and debris she heard a sound, but it was probably just some boy's dying yell.   
  
She wandered out of the city into the vast blasted lands. Thorn was dead. Her parents were dead. She felt as if she was crying but no tears came out. There was noone left for her. Something in her told her to go to the desert. Maybe if she made it to the next town there'd be people...  
  
A day came and went. There was no sign of life. At one point, Majin Buu had appeared in the sky, just to create thousands of explosions that nearly killed her, causing her to go flying into a rock and knocking her out for a while. She was beaten, bruised, hungry. Night was coming. She fell next to a small ledge, rest her head on a large rock. This was it. She'd go to sleep and never wake up. She just wished that she was dying in someone's arms...or that there was someone to see her in her last moments. A voice to hear and guide her to her end.  
  
A moan broke the silence. But it wasn't her own. Shocked, she raced down the ledge to his crumpled, unconscious form.  
  
"Thorn!" She said, tears in her eyes. He was barely alive, but he would make it. He leaned down and took his hand, embraced his body. Kissed his lips gently. He did not wake. But she'd wait for him...  
  
Taking a seat a few meters in front of him, she looked to the sky. Several hours passed.  
  
After watching the stars for so long, she noticed one was moving. Tracing it with her eyes and squinting, her blood ran cold. There was something small, and pink darting about. 


	11. A Dream Deferred

Chapter 10  
  
Thorn opened his eyes, painfully. He had such a great dream...Becky was alive and they had gone on his first date. He looked at the cold earth below and spat blood. It had been a tough trip through the desert, and now he knew he would surely die. Maybe he could join her. He heard a sniffle and felt suddenly alive with amazement. Almost afraid to look, he muttered her name and raised his eyes.  
  
"Becky?"  
  
And there she was, an angel amidst the bedlam, moonlight caressing her graceful form tenderly. She stood with her back to him, facing the ominous sphere of the full moon, a brilliant orb that ripped the infinite blankness of the sky in two, threatening to swallow everything into it's mily luminescence. She was, as always, a temptation. The heaven he had always strived to achieve that somehow always slipped through his fingers like cupped morning dew, leaving him only to long more for her and contemplate his faults. And now, despite the tumult that ensnared everything around, they were alone.  
  
He had struggled against physics, and the strain that had consumed him, the screaming pain that had torn at his muscles for so long now he had displaced as irrelevant. She was all that mattered to him now. She was the one thing preventing his death...or perphaps, driving him to it. He struggled to walk closer, but found himself collapsed once more. Whether he had been stricken down by fatigue or overcome by her beauty was anyone's guess. But he rose once more, pushing with all his might to overcome the sweat, the blood that now streamed freely from his wounds, salty, on his lip. However much he squinted he could not see her wings, couldn't feel the phantom winds that raced along the crater-littered, blackened landscape pull one of her feathers accross his face, though he knew somewhere above her haunting silhouette was a halo. Or at least, one would be there soon.  
  
She turned her head to him, an ironic smile on her face defying the shining tears that were slipping down her face to meet her perfect lips. She knew, as he did now. His eyes widened with fear and realization. Oh God, no...God...no. That isn't the moon, he told himself. That isn't the moon! He reached for her and called her name.  
  
"It's Buu..." She whispered, taking his hand and pulling him to her. They stood, despite the horror behind, in each other's arms, looking into each other's eyes. "It's over...he's going to destroy the world. I can feel it." More tears fell from her face. Thorn wiped them with his hand gently and kissed them away.   
  
"Are you afraid?" He asked her, moving close.  
  
"Yes...but it makes me feel better to be here with you. I-"  
  
"Don't be. It might be the end of the world now..." His voice was pained and sad. "But I wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else. And my life will be complete after I tell you one thing."  
  
Becky took his hands. They were close now, looking deep in each other's eyes and disregarding everything around them. Thorn put his arms around her waist, and she put hers around his shoulders. He rubbed her back gently while he spoke.  
  
"I love you Becky. I have since I first looked into those eyes of yours."  
  
"I love you too baby. I was so crushed when I thought you were-"  
  
"Me too, Becky. Me too." She looked to his lips, and then back to his eyes. A slight smile pulled at his lips and he leaned in. The world went white and a sinister laugh pierced the air as Thorn had his first -and last- kiss with the girl he would have wanted to spend his life with.   
  
All was quiet. 


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
(A/N: If this confuses you, remember Goku's last wishes)  
  
A child in the park with a bonnet looked to the sky with a satisfied smile, squinting against the sun. He raised a small, pudgy hand.  
  
"Look ma ma!" He said with a slight accent. "Dagron!" She looked down at him. "Dagron?"   
  
Something green and serpentine winded through the clouds, but "ma ma" only saw a piece of red on the tail.  
  
"Oh honey, it's just a kite." She smiled, kissing her son on the cheek.  
  
"Dagron!!!"   
  
Angrily licking the blood off of the corner of his lip, Thorn raced up the stairs, losing sight of his pursuers. He smashed the nearest door open and limped in, panting and slamming the door behind him. A girl stood facing a mirror in the center of the room. He panted heavily, standing against the door. Shit, he told himself. The girls bathroom. He sighed, waiting for her to notice and flip, but suprisingly enough, she seemed to disregard his presence. He walked to a sink and stuck his face in, washing some of his own blood away. He pulled his wet face away and recognized her as Becky. Her face was still wet with tears, she held her arms behind her back. He took a step toward her, and she did not do anything to protest. Their eyes met, and once more he felt lost somewhere that he'd rather not be found, deep within her soul. He shyly looked down, and saw a thin red line on her wrist.   
  
"You shouldn't do that you know..." He said silkily, shaking his head. Their eyes met, and Thorn remembered her.  
  
THE END  
  
(A/N: I'm leaving it open for you to decide what happens. Since Majin Vegeta wouldn't interrupt them this time, they may share the kiss. Or maybe he remembered everything that happened in the Buu Saga! Your choice!) 


End file.
